Happy National BBQ Week everyone, we hope you’ve been firing up the coals this week, and hopefully you’ve even checked out our previous post on the Best BBQ food.

Today’s post is all about arguably one of the most important parts of any garden party or BBQ, the drinks. Whether you like a tipple, or stick to something soft, we’ve got some great recipes to quench your thirst this National BBQ Week.

And remeber, there is still time to enter our awesome competition to win a hamper full of goodies from our friends at Thermapen, Oven Pride, Bombardier and Zippo. – Simply click below to tell us your favourite BBQ drink, submit your entry using your Facebook login or email address and you could be in with a chance of bagging this awesome prize.

Most men love a fresh bottle of ale, but if you’re feeling fancy this summer, crack out the cocktail shaker and try out these great recipes.

www.waitrose.com/summer are to thank for the following cocktail recipes and outdoor dining essentials, all ideal for putting on the perfect Summer BBQ.

Keep your cocktail manly with this great highland recipe

A Highland Summer Sling

Highland Summer Sling Cocktail

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 tsp loose-leaf Earl Grey tea (or 2 Earl Grey teabags)

800ml coldwater

200ml Compass Box Great King Street Artist Blend

100ml Crabbies Ginger Wine

100ml Lemon juice

Ice

Recipe

Put the Earl Grey tea in a jug and add the cold water.

Leave the mixture to infuse for 2-3 hours.

Strain to get rid of the tea/tea bags.

Fill a large jug with ice.

Add the whisky, ginger wine, cold Earl Grey and lemon juice and shake well to combine.

As a garnish, pour the cocktail into 4 ice filled rocks glasses or tumblers.

Impress the ladies with this twist on a classic glass of fizz (or just enjoy it yourself, there’s nothing unmanly about a glass of prosecco)

Sgroppino

Sgroppino Cocktail

Makes 4

Ingredients

500ml tub Waitrose Lemon Sorbet

100ml Limoncello Santa Marta

50ml Cooks’ Ingredients Yuzu Juice

500ml Valdo Oro Puro Prosecco DOCG

Mint sprigs, to garnish

Recipe

Put the lemon sorbet, limoncello, yuzu juice and prosecco in a liquidiser

Pulse carefully until smooth and foamy

Pour into chilled flute and serve immediately

Garnish with sprigs of mint

Take your cocktail making skills to the next level with this cocktail slushy

Pomegranate and Lime Slushy

Pomegranate & Lime Slushy

Serves 4

Ingredients

150ml Dubonnet

100ml Star of Bombay Gin

800ml pomegranate juice

Juice of 1 lime

Ice

Pomegranate seeds

Lime twists to garnish

Recipe

Mix the Dubonnet with the gin, and the pomegranate and lime juices.

Pour the mixture into a blender with a handful of ice and blitz until it forms a slush.

Pour it into a container and leave to freeze for 30-45 minutes.

As a garnish, spoon the slushy into 4 rocks glasses. Garnish with a few pomegranate seeds and a twist of lime.

A lot of the time, a good drink is all about the presentation, as is the rest of a great BBQ. Waitrose have some great picnic and outdoor ware that are perfect for parties to make everything look great, but can also help save on the washing up.

Whether you enjoy hosting the perfectly presented party or you’re more of a bottled beer kind of man, we hope this post has been of some use to getting you ready to host the ultimate BBQ.

Kim Murdoch

Kim Murdoch is the senior digital content executive for Slaters - responsible for making the website look epic, devising and creating online campaigns and overseeing email marketing. In her spare time she loves dogs, music, movies and snowsports.